Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass with amendment a bill that appropriates funds and establishes guidelines to address the opioid crisis.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $500 million for each fiscal years 2019 through 2021 for the purposes of providing grants for opioid recovery centers (Sec. 1306).

• Appropriates $36 million for each fiscal years 2019 through 2021 for data reporting and program oversight (Sec. 1306).

• Requires the Secretary to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to establish or operate a comprehensive opioid recovery center (Sec. 1401).

• Authorizes that a center can be a single entity or an integrated delivery network (Sec. 1401).

• Requires the treatment and recovery centers to ensure that intake and evaluations meet the individualized clinical needs of patients, including by offering assessments for services and care recommendations through independent, evidence-based verification processes for reviewing patient placement in treatment settings (Sec. 1401).

• Requires opioid recovery centers to provide the full continuum of treatment services, including the following (Sec. 1401):

• All drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat substance use disorders;

• Medically supervised withdrawal management that includes patient evaluation, stabilization, and readiness for and entry into treatment;

• Counseling provided by a program counselor or other certified professional who is licensed and qualified by education, training, or experience to assess the psychological and sociological background of patients, to contribute to the appropriate treatment plan for the patient, and to monitor patient progress;

• Treatment for patients with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders;

• Testing for infections commonly associated with illicit drug use;

• Residential rehabilitation, and outpatient and intensive outpatient programs;

• Recovery housing;

• Community-based and peer recovery support services;

• Job training, job placement assistance, and continuing education assistance to support reintegration into the workforce; and

• Other best practices to provide the full continuum of treatment and services, as determined by the Secretary.

• Requires the Center to carry out outreach activities to publicize the services offered through the center, which includes (Sec. 1401):

• Training and supervising outreach staff to work with State and local health departments, health care providers, the Indian Health Services, State and local educationational agencies, schools funded by the Indian Bureau of Education, institutions of higher education, State and local workforce development boards, State and Local workforce development boards, State and local community action agencies, public safety officials, first responders, Indian Tribes, and other community partners and the public, including patients, to identify and respond to community needs;

• Ensuring that the entities mentioned previously are aware of the services of the Center; and

• Disseminating and making publicly available, including through the internet, evidence-based resources that educate professionals and the public on opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders, including co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.

• Requires that the entity that receives a grant to submit data, no later than 90 days after the end of the first year of the grant period, and annually thereafter for the duration of the grant period,  as appropriate, to the Secretary regarding (Sec. 1401):

• The programs and activities funded by the grant;

• Health outcomes of the population of individuals with a substance use disorder who received services from the Center, evaluated by an independent program evaluator through the use of outcomes measures, as determined by the Secretary;

• The retention rate of program participants; and

• Any other information that the Secretary may require for the purpose of ensuring that the Center is complying with all the requirements of the grants.

• Requires that eligible entities that are awarded with a grant uses the grants in the following ways:

• Hire and utilize recovery coaches to help support recovery;

• Establish policies and procedures, pursuant to Federal and State law, that address the provision of overdose reversal medication, the administration of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat substance use disorder, and subsequent continuation of, or referral to, evidence-based treatment for patients with a substance use disorder who have experienced on non-fatal drug overdose, in order to support long-term treatment, prevent relapse, and reduce recidivism and future overdose; and

• Establish integrated models of care for individuals who have experienced a non-fatal drug overdose which may include patient assessment, follow up, and transportation to and from treatment facilities.

• Requires a grant to be awarded for a period of no more than 5 years (Sec. 1401).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that appropriates funds and establishes guidelines to address the opioid crisis.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $500 million for each fiscal years 2019 through 2021 for the purposes of providing grants for opioid recovery centers (Sec. 1306).

• Appropriates $36 million for each fiscal years 2019 through 2021 for data reporting and program oversight (Sec. 1306).

• Requires the Secretary to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to establish or operate a comprehensive opioid recovery center (Sec. 1401).

• Authorizes that a center can be a single entity or an integrated delivery network (Sec. 1401).

• Requires the treatment and recovery centers to ensure that intake and evaluations meet the individualized clinical needs of patients, including by offering assessments for services and care recommendations through independent, evidence-based verification processes for reviewing patient placement in treatment settings (Sec. 1401).

• Requires opioid recovery centers to provide the full continuum of treatment services, including the following (Sec. 1401):

• All drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat substance use disorders;

• Medically supervised withdrawal management that includes patient evaluation, stabilization, and readiness for and entry into treatment;

• Counseling provided by a program counselor or other certified professional who is licensed and qualified by education, training, or experience to assess the psychological and sociological background of patients, to contribute to the appropriate treatment plan for the patient, and to monitor patient progress;

• Treatment for patients with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders;

• Testing for infections commonly associated with illicit drug use;

• Residential rehabilitation, and outpatient and intensive outpatient programs;

• Recovery housing;

• Community-based and peer recovery support services;

• Job training, job placement assistance, and continuing education assistance to support reintegration into the workforce; and

• Other best practices to provide the full continuum of treatment and services, as determined by the Secretary.

• Requires the Center to carry out outreach activities to publicize the services offered through the center, which includes (Sec. 1401):

• Training and supervising outreach staff to work with State and local health departments, health care providers, the Indian Health Services, State and local educationational agencies, schools funded by the Indian Bureau of Education, institutions of higher education, State and local workforce development boards, State and Local workforce development boards, State and local community action agencies, public safety officials, first responders, Indian Tribes, and other community partners and the public, including patients, to identify and respond to community needs;

• Ensuring that the entities mentioned previously are aware of the services of the Center; and

• Disseminating and making publicly available, including through the internet, evidence-based resources that educate professionals and the public on opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders, including co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.

• Requires that the entity that receives a grant to submit data, no later than 90 days after the end of the first year of the grant period, and annually thereafter for the duration of the grant period,  as appropriate, to the Secretary regarding (Sec. 1401):

• The programs and activities funded by the grant;

• Health outcomes of the population of individuals with a substance use disorder who received services from the Center, evaluated by an independent program evaluator through the use of outcomes measures, as determined by the Secretary;

• The retention rate of program participants; and

• Any other information that the Secretary may require for the purpose of ensuring that the Center is complying with all the requirements of the grants.

• Requires that eligible entities that are awarded with a grant uses the grants in the following ways:

• Hire and utilize recovery coaches to help support recovery;

• Establish policies and procedures, pursuant to Federal and State law, that address the provision of overdose reversal medication, the administration of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat substance use disorder, and subsequent continuation of, or referral to, evidence-based treatment for patients with a substance use disorder who have experienced on non-fatal drug overdose, in order to support long-term treatment, prevent relapse, and reduce recidivism and future overdose; and

• Establish integrated models of care for individuals who have experienced a non-fatal drug overdose which may include patient assessment, follow up, and transportation to and from treatment facilities.

• Requires a grant to be awarded for a period of no more than 5 years (Sec. 1401).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text